Dry Well Help in Tulare County: What to Do First

A well that stops delivering water is stressful, and the first days matter. This guide covers what to do when a well goes dry in Tulare County: how to confirm it is the well, how to get through the first days, where to report it, and what assistance has existed. Programs change, so treat what follows as a map of where to ask and not a promise of help.

Step 1: Confirm it is the well, not the pump

• Switch the pump off at its breaker if taps only spit air. Running a submersible pump dry can burn it out.
• Check for a tripped breaker, a pressure gauge reading zero, or a failed pressure switch. See our pump troubleshooting guide.
• Ask a pump or well contractor to measure the water level and test the pump. If the water is below the pump, the fix could be lowering the pump, deepening the well, or drilling a new one. If the water level is fine, the pump or controls may be the problem, which is usually cheaper.

Step 2: Get safe drinking water now

• Use bottled water for drinking and cooking until you have a plan.
• Do not drink water that turns cloudy, sandy, or smells bad. When a well is low, it can pull in sediment. After any repair or new well, have the water tested.
• If you have no drinking water and cannot buy it, ask a local assistance provider (below) or county services about emergency water. Say you are on a private well that has gone dry.

Step 3: Report it to the state

California’s Department of Water Resources runs the Household Water Supply Shortage (Dry Well) Reporting System at mydrywell.water.ca.gov. It is meant for people not served by a public water system whose private well or other source has failed. The site says reports help state and local agencies track drought impacts, and that everything except your name, contact details, and home address can be publicly visible. It also states plainly that submitting a report is not an application for assistance, but it points to resources. We have not verified how quickly anyone follows up on a report.

Step 4: Ask about assistance (verify what is current)

Several kinds of help have existed for Tulare County households whose private wells went dry. We have checked that each existed as described below, but we cannot confirm what is open today, who qualifies, or how long it takes. Check before you count on anything.

• Kaweah subbasin groundwater agencies and Self-Help Enterprises. In June 2024, the East Kaweah, Greater Kaweah, and Mid-Kaweah groundwater sustainability agencies approved a mitigation program run with Self-Help Enterprises, a Visalia-based nonprofit. News coverage described bottled water within 24 hours, a tank and hauled water within 72 hours, and long-term fixes that can include working with well drillers on repair or replacement. It was reported to cover wells in the Kaweah subbasin affected by falling groundwater, and the Kaweah area is the northern part of Tulare County’s valley floor, so whether it covers your property depends on where you live.
• Other groundwater agencies. Reporting in 2024 said other Tulare County groundwater agencies, including Delano-Earlimart, Kern-Tulare, Lower Tule River, Pixley, and Tri-County, had separate arrangements with Self-Help. Ask which groundwater agency covers your parcel.
• State support has shifted. A May 2025 news report said Self-Help received about $20 million less than it requested from the State Water Board for emergency and long-term domestic well responses, and that the groundwater agencies’ programs might need changes. Programs may therefore have waitlists or new rules.
• Past county programs. During the 2014 to 2017 drought, Tulare County and the state arranged bottled water deliveries and household water tanks for homes with dry wells, and in 2017 the county handed its tank program to Self-Help Enterprises. These were drought-era efforts; do not assume they are open today.

Programs differ in eligibility. Some have been income-based, some have considered whether the cause was falling groundwater or an old, failed well, and some have treated renters differently. When you call, say: you are on a private domestic well, it has gone dry, the nearest town or your address, and how many people live in the home.

Step 5: Plan the permanent fix

A contractor may suggest one of these:

• Lower the pump. If the well is deep enough and the water is only slightly below the pump, this can be the cheapest fix. It may be temporary if groundwater keeps falling.
• Deepen the well. Possible when the casing and hole allow it. Costs are in our well drilling cost guide.
• Drill a replacement well. It must be permitted. County notices for recent replacement wells show that when a new well cannot meet setbacks from a septic system or animal enclosure, the county has granted variances with a deeper annular seal. Ask your driller how they handle this.
• Connect to a public water system. If one serves your area, a connection may be possible. Ask your city or water district whether service is available and what it costs.

Whichever you choose, get more than one written quote, check the driller’s license, and read our guide to choosing a well driller.

A note on groundwater and new wells

Much of the valley floor in Tulare County sits in groundwater subbasins that the state has identified as critically overdrafted under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, including the Kaweah subbasin. That is part of why more domestic wells have gone dry. Groundwater agencies and the county are still adjusting how they work together on well permits, mostly for larger agricultural and commercial wells, so rules for new wells may have changed since this page was written. Ask Tulare County Environmental Health about the current process for your parcel.